It's more than just a day off; it's a taste of something truly divine. Bereshit Rabbah, a fascinating collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis, offers some beautiful insights. , shall we?
The verse "God blessed the seventh day [and sanctified it]" (Genesis 2:3) becomes a springboard for exploring the unique blessings of Shabbat (the Sabbath). Rabbi Yishmael, in Bereshit Rabbah, suggests that God blessed Shabbat with the manna, the miraculous food that sustained the Israelites in the desert. All week, one omer of manna would fall per person, but on Friday, a double portion appeared! Why? An extra omer for Shabbat, of course! And He sanctified it by ensuring no manna fell on Shabbat itself. A built-in day of rest, provided by the Divine.
Rabbi Natan offers another perspective: He blessed it with manna, yes, but sanctified it with a blessing – perhaps the Shabbat blessing recited over a cup of wine, the kiddush (the sanctification blessing over wine). Rabbi Yitzḥak suggests yet another angle: He blessed it with manna and sanctified it through the story of the gatherer, the person who gathered wood on Shabbat and faced severe consequences (Numbers 15:32–36). This, Rabbi Yitzhak says, highlights the awesome and inviolable sanctity of Shabbat.
But the blessings don't stop there. We're told that Shabbat is blessed with apparel. Rav Huna says we should change our clothing, transitioning from everyday wear into special Shabbat garb. Rabbi Ḥiyya, quoting Rabbi Yoḥanan, suggests even mixing garments if you don't have a full set of Shabbat clothes – at least one fine item amongst the ordinary. And Avin bar Ḥisdai even says that if you don't have special garments, you should at least wear your ordinary clothes in a distinctive manner. This is beautifully illustrated in an anecdote involving Rabbi Yirmeya and Rabbi Ze’eira, where their differing ways of wearing their outer garments demonstrated the importance of dressing differently for Shabbat.
Rabbi Elazar adds another layer: He blessed it with the Shabbat candle. He even shares a personal story: he once lit a candle on Shabbat eve and found it still burning at the conclusion of Shabbat, with seemingly no oil diminished! A small miracle to illuminate the holy day.
But perhaps the most profound blessing is the radiance of a person's face on Shabbat. The text emphasizes that the joy and peace of Shabbat are reflected in our very countenances. It's a visible sign of the day's special quality.
Then there's the fascinating idea of the primordial light, the light created on the first day of creation. Rabbi Shimon bar Yehuda of Kefar Akko, quoting Rabbi Shimon, shares a powerful idea: even though this light was "cursed" when Adam sinned, it wasn't taken away until the end of Shabbat. The Rabbis believe this primordial light remained with Adam throughout Shabbat, only to be withdrawn as he was expelled from the Garden of Eden.
Bereshit Rabbah connects this to verses in Job and Proverbs, painting a picture of this light being hidden from the wicked and reserved for the righteous in the future. Rabbi Levi, quoting Rabbi Ze’eira, says this light functioned for thirty-six hours – twelve on the day before Shabbat, twelve on the night of Shabbat, and twelve on Shabbat.
But what happened when that light was gone? As the sun set at the conclusion of Shabbat, darkness approached, and Adam became afraid. He associated the darkness with the serpent, the embodiment of death and evil. So, what did God do? He inspired Adam to strike two flint stones together, creating fire. Adam then recited a blessing over the light, the very blessing we still say today at the conclusion of Shabbat: "[Blessed be God] Who creates the lights of fire."
Shmuel explains that we recite this blessing specifically at the conclusion of Shabbat because that moment marked the beginning of fire's creation. Rav Huna and Rabbi Abahu even say we recite a similar blessing at the end of Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), because fire "rested" all that day, forbidden to be kindled.
So, the next time you light the Shabbat candles, or perhaps even just notice the special feeling of the day, remember these layers of blessings. Remember the manna, the special clothing, the radiance, and even the first spark of light in a world facing darkness. Shabbat isn't just a day; it's a portal, a reminder of the light that exists within us and the potential for a world bathed in its glow. What will you do this Shabbat to tap into that light?
“God blessed the seventh day [and sanctified it]” – Rabbi Yishmael said: He blessed it with manna and He sanctified it with manna. He blessed it with manna in that all the days of the week one omer [of manna] would fall, while on the day before Shabbat two omers would fall.2An extra omer for Shabbat. He sanctified it with manna, as it did not fall on it [on Shabbat] at all. Rabbi Natan says: He blessed it with manna and sanctified it with a blessing.3The Shabbat blessing recited over a cup of wine. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: He blessed it with manna and sanctified it through the gatherer.4Someone who gathered wood in the wilderness on Shabbat and was put to death (Numbers 15:32–36). The harsh penalty demonstrates the awesome, inviolable sanctity of Shabbat. He blessed it with apparel.5One should wear fine clothing on Shabbat. Rav Huna said: He should change his clothing.6He must change from everyday clothing into special Shabbat garb. Rabbi Ḥiyya said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: He should mix [garments].7If one does not have a complete set of Shabbat clothing, he should at least mix one fine item into the everyday clothing he will wear on Shabbat. Avin bar Ḥisdai said: He should lower [his garments].8If someone does not have any special garments for Shabbat, he should at least wear his ordinary garment in a distinctive manner, e.g., by lengthening it. Rabbi Yirmeya and Rabbi Ze’eira were walking together [on Shabbat], and the outer garment of Rabbi Yirmeya was raised up,9That type of garment was ordinarily worn folded in order that it be elevated off the ground. but Rabbi Ze’eira lowered his.10By releasing the fold. This shows that one should lower [one’s garments for Shabbat]. Rabbi Elazar says: He blessed it with [the Shabbat] candle,11By enabling it to last longer than usual. and there was an incident involving me [that illustrates this]. One time I kindled a candle on Shabbat eve, and I came and found it burning at the conclusion of Shabbat, and nothing [of the oil] was diminished. He blessed it with the radiance of a person’s face, He sanctified it with the radiance of a person’s face. The radiance of a person’s face all the days of the week is not comparable to the way it is on Shabbat. He blessed it with the lights.12The primordial light of creation, which was hidden away because of Adam’s sin. Rabbi Shimon bar Yehuda of Kefar Akko says in the name of Rabbi Shimon: Even though the lights were cursed on the day before Shabbat,13When Adam sinned. they were not stricken until the conclusion of Shabbat. This is in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis, and not in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Ami, as Rabbi Ami said: Adam the first man, his glory14The primordial light. did not spend the night with him.15It was abolished on the day of his creation, before Shabbat. What is the source? “Man [adam] will not go to rest in his splendor; he is like the beasts that perish” (Psalms 49:13). The Rabbis say: His glory did spend the night with him, and only at the conclusion of Shabbat was his radiance taken from him, as He expelled him from the Garden of Eden. That is what is written: “You alter his countenance and send him away” (Job 14:20). When the sun set on Shabbat eve, the Holy One blessed be He sought to put away the [primordial] light, but He accorded honor to Shabbat. That is what is written: “God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it” – He blessed it with light. When the sun set on Shabbat eve the [primordial] light continued to function.16Even at night. Everyone began praising [God]; that is what is written: “Under all the heavens they sing His praises,17The Midrash interprets yishrehu as being related to shira, song. and His light is to the ends of the earth” (Job 37:3). Why was this?18Why is it that “under all the heavens they sing His praises”? Because “His light is to the ends of the earth.” Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon said: By the light that the Holy One blessed be He created on the first day, a person could look out and see from one end of the world to the other end. When the Holy One blessed be He looked at the people of the generation of the Flood and the people of the generation of the Dispersion, whose actions were to be corrupt, He arose and hid it away and designated it for the righteous in the future. From where is it derived that He hid it away? It is as it is stated: “Their light will be withheld from the wicked, and the upraised arm will be broken” (Job 38:15). And from where is it derived that He designated it for the righteous in the future? It is as it is stated: “But the path of the righteous is like a dawning light, growing brighter until the day is established” (Proverbs 4:18). Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ze’eira: That [primordial] light functioned for thirty-six hours – twelve on the day before Shabbat, twelve on the night of Shabbat, and twelve on Shabbat. As the sun set at the conclusion of Shabbat, darkness began approaching, and Adam the first man became afraid, as it is stated: “And I said that darkness will envelop me [yeshufeni]; night for me is light,” (Psalms 139:11) – that one [the serpent] in whose regard it is written: “He will strike you [yeshufekha] with his head, and you will strike him [teshufenu] with your heel” (Genesis 3:15), is now coming to confront me.19The serpent represents death, as it was through its evil machinations that Adam sinned and was condemned to death. What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He prepared for him two flint stones and he struck them one against the other. Light emerged from them and he recited a blessing over it. That is what is written: “Night for me is light.” What blessing did he recite over it? [Blessed be God] Who creates the lights of fire. This is in accordance with the opinion of Shmuel, as Shmuel said: Why does one recite a blessing over light at the conclusion of Shabbat? It is because that time was the beginning of its creation. Rav Huna in the name of Rav and Rabbi Abahu in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One recites a blessing over it [light] at the conclusion of Yom Kippur, as well, because fire rested all that day.20It is forbidden to make a fire all day on Yom Kippur.
